Crawford snaps up Fourie
CRAVEN, backed off the boards in his two previous starts, has already been strongly supported for his handicap debut at Kenilworth today and he has One Direction to beat in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.
The Hong Kong-owned colt is the horse that Andrew Fortune committed to riding in the Cape Guineas and Derby after justifying odds of 1-4 at Durbanville three weeks ago when he won easing up with the former champion blaming himself for a bad ride.
Fortune cried off his mounts early on Monday – he wasn’t feeling well – and Brett Crawford wasted no time in snapping up Richard Fourie. World Sports Betting opened the three-yearold at 22-10 during the afternoon but by lunchtime yesterday 14-10 was the best available.
First time out of the maidens is notoriously tricky but Crawford says he has no concerns on this count, reasoning: “I think he is above average.”
A nine draw shouldn’t stop the colt and his opening 85 handicap mark is not excessive (last Saturday’s winner African Night Sky, who won on debut, was put in at 83), particularly as Fortune stopped riding 100m out and eased him before the line.
So, can anything beat him? The sahorseracing computer has him dead-heating with 5-1 shot The Slade but 28-10 chance One Direction (who the computer says will only finish fifth) looks a bigger threat. His record is similar to Craven’s and Justin Snaith said he could be a Derby horse after last time’s win.
Gyre
Gyre (11-2) was put up 1.5kg for his neck defeat of Mega Secret (10-1) and is now a kilo worse. That was 35 minutes after Craven’s win and, perhaps significantly, Gyre’s time was half a second slower.
Crawford should also win the All To Come Graduation Plate with Whisky Baron who runs for the first time since failing to get the trip in the Winter Derby. He was beaten less than half a length by Marinaresco (who reappears on Saturday) in both the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic and that is outstanding form. According to the adjusted ratings he is a racing certainty with eight lengths in hand. The opening 12-10 was quickly snapped up and he was odds-on yesterday.
He has not raced for four months but his trainer says he has few worries about this, adding: “This will be his first run since being gelded and he is working very well.”
But, while the ratings and weights say 2-1 Newlands has no chance of beating him, this is a smart sort who was good enough to take third in the Langerman.
Joey Ramsden
“He is not rated to win but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him do so,” says Joey Ramsden, adding: “He is a huge big horse, he has been cut and he will run well.”
The computer is predicting a major upset, showing 8-1 chance Lord Marshal coming home in front with Whisky Baron only fourth and Newlands trailing in with just long shot Astrapi behind him.